Portable prophylactic toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A portable prophylactic toothbrush has a hollow handle housing one or more dentrifice containers. A closure plug for the hollow handle may form the cap for a dentrifrice container and the brush end is provided with a fountain-pen-type cap to protect and prevent contamination of the brush. It also operates to allow the toothbrush to be carried about in unobtrusive and fully protected manner. The brush cap may have lugs which provide for air circulation to the brush when the cap is in place. Various types of disposable dentrifrice containers may be employed such as simple tubes having a double fold at one end and a single fold at the other end; closed envelopes provided with a rupturable end; and the like.

United States Patent 2,486,321 10/1949 O'Sullivan..................., 2,634,025 4/1953 Hausner 3,063,267 11/1962 Shand ctal. 3,073,507 1/1963 Trewella etal.

[72] Inventors Francisco Ortega Etna No. 104, Mexico 20, City; Pablo Ortega, Colon 2-208, Queretaro, both of, Mexico Appl. No. 834,025

FOREIGN PATENTS l/1939 GreatBritain...,............

Primary Examiner-- Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney-1mirie and Smiley [22] Filed June 17, 1969 [45] Patented July 20, 197] [54] PORTABLE PROPHYLACTIC TOOTHBRUSH lClaim,9Drawing Figs.

[51] lnt.CL...

ABSTRACT: A portable prophylactic toothbrush has a hollow 132/84 Bi handle housing one or more dentrifice containers. A closure plug for the hollow handle may form the cap for a dentrifrice so FieldofSearch......................................::...

container and the brush end is provided with a fountain-pen- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1905 Wilson type cap to protect and prevent contamination of the brush. It

also operates to allow the toothbrush to be carried about in unobtrusive and fully protected manner. The brush cap may 363 8/1924 Mather......,. 617 111 002 have lugs which provide for air circulation to the brush when 6/1928 Brockclsby..

the cap is in place. Various types of disposable dentrifrice containers may be employed such as simple tubes having a double fold at one end and a single fold at the other end; closed envelopes provided with a rupturable end; and the like.

W e P 3 4 9 H 4 Wm o me w n wm m M 88 44 99 11 92 i s 9 v v a ///IIIIIII ////////IIll/lIll/Il/l/l/l/I/Y/I/ 7l/I/l/lI/I/ll/I/l I PATENTED M20 I97! SHEET 1 [1F 2 INVENTORS FRANCISCO ORTEGA PABLO ORTEGA ATTORNEYS SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG] FIG. 5

4 7 9 Y 6 2 w v //////////////l/ ///////lIll/l INVENTORS FRANCISCO ORTEGA PABLO ORTEGA ATTORIi'g PORTABLE PROPI-IYLACTIC TOOTIIBRUSH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional toothbrushes are normally stored under reasonably sanitary conditions but unless placed in a suitable container not ordinarily in use, they are readily contaminated when carried about as when travelling. Moreover, they are not convenient to carry about on the person inasmuch as they not only are of such size as inevitably presents an unsightly exposure thereof, but they are or such size as inevitably presents an unsightly exposure thereof, but they are of little use unless accompanied bya tube of dentifrice, to say nothing of the contamination problem.

Various other types of toothbrushes have been proposed, including those in which provision is made for expulsion of the dentifrice directly to the brush through orifices at the base on which the bristles are mounted. This eliminates the necessity for separately carrying the toothpaste tube, but it is difficult at best to clean.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved form of toothbrush which embodies a handle portion mounting a brush head and having a removable cap associated therewith so as to maintain the brush in sanitary condition and also to provide means whereby the toothbrush may be unobtrusively carried about in the fashion of a fountain pen. The handle is hollow and presents a receptacle for one or more dentifrice containers which may conveniently take the form of a pliable tube provided at one end with a double fold and a single fold at the opposite end; they may take the form of closed envelopes provided with a line of weakening whereby they may be easily ruptured to dispense the contents; or the container may be in the form of a flexible tube sealed at one end and provided at its other end with an externally threaded neck cooperative with an end cap of the hollow handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. I is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the assembled toothbrush shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing one form of dentifrice container;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing a modified form of dentifrice container;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section taken through a modified form of toothbrush assembly;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section taken at right angles with respect to FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational section illustrating the modified cap according to FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the cap shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the handle closure cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference at this time more particularly to FIG. I, the form of the toothbrush shown therein includes a hollow handle portion 11, a removable brush head 13, a protective cap 17 and a closure cap 14 for the hollow handle. The parts are disposed in, the position shown in FIG. 2 when assembled and, as illustrated, it will be appreciated that the shank or stem portion 12 of the brush I3 is frictionally engaged and held within a suitable recess in one end of the handle 11 whereas the op posite end of the handle is closed by the cap I4, same being frictionally engaged in a counterbore or recess therein substantially as is shown. The protective cap 17 is fitted over the aforesaid one end of the handle 11 and encloses the brush 13 normally to protect it from contamination and to lend an unobtrusive appearance to the toothbrush assembly. The cap 17 may be provided with a sprin clip I8 by means of which the toothbrush may be carried a out in the users pocket in the manner of a fountain pen so as always to be available for use.

The recess 19 provided by the hollow portion of the handle II houses a container I6 of dentifrice which preferably is in the form of a flexible tube of soft metal, plastic or the like sealed at the end I6 thereof and provided at its opposite end with an externally threaded neck 16 which is threadedly engaged with the internally threaded recess 15 of the handle closure cap 14.

Alternatively, the dentifrice container may be of the form shown in FIG. 3 in which the flexible sleeve or tube is provided with a double fold 20 at one end and a single fold 21 at the opposite end, the latter being easily opened to permit the dentifrice or paste to be ejected.

Another form of dentifrice container is shown in FIG. 4 which is in the form of a closed body provided at one end with a circumferentially extending groove presenting a line of weakening which allows the container to rupture when squeezed to expel the toothpaste.

In the modified form of toothbrush shown in FIG. 5, the handle 25 is hollow and is provided with .a closure cap portion 31 and may contain several individual containers 30 of dentifrice. The brush head 24 is provided with a stem portion 23 which is integral with the handle 25 and the protective cap 27 will be seen to be cooperative with the base of the stem portion 23 where it joins the handle 25 proper to present a space 26 at the shoulder formed between the stem 23 and the handle 25. The cap 27 is provided interiorly with a series of spaced, inwardly directed lugs 29 which allow for circulation of air within the protective cap assembly 27 when in place as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it being appreciated that the handle 25 is provided with the lugs 28 upstanding in the fashion shown so as to assure that the spacing 26 is present. FIGS. 5 and 6 also illustrate the fact that the toothbrush assembly may be of oblong or generally oval cross-sectional shape and they also illustrate that, if desired, the clip shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be omitted.

In any event, the toothbrush assembly is characterized by the fact that the toothbrush together with suitable supply of dentifrice forms a complete package which may be carried on the person in an unobtrusive manner so as to be available at all times for use, as for example when travelling or at any time when away from home. The toothbrush is easily cleaned and is maintained in sanitary and protected condition by virtue of the protective cover cap which also functions to disguise the toothbrush when stored after use.

Although the invention has been shown and described particularly referring to some embodiments: of the same, those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned and other changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

I. A portable, prophylactic toothbrush comprising, in combination,

an elongated body defining a handle by means of which the toothbrush may be manipulated, said body having an axial recess extending inwardly from one end thereof,

a brush including a shank portion mounted at the other end of the body,

a cap removably positioned over said brush and shank portion at said other end of the body covering and protecting said brush,

a dentifrice container in said recess, and.

a plug removably closing said one end of the body to retain said dentifrice container,

said body having lugs for abutting said cap to provide air passage spaces therebetween, and

said cap having lugs for abutting said shank portion to produce air passage spaces in communication with said first-mentioned spaces to admit air to said cap around said brush. 

1. A portable, prophylactic toothbrush comprising, in combination, an elongated body defining a handle by means of which the toothbrush may be manipulated, said body having an axial recess extending inwardly from one end thereof, a brush including a shank portion mounted at the other end of the body, a cap removably positioned over said brush and shank portion at said other end of the body covering and protecting said brush, a dentifrice container in said recess, and a plug removably closing said one end of the body to retain said dentifrice container, said body having lugs for abutting said cap to provide air passage spaces therebetween, and said cap having lugs for abutting said shank portion to produce air passage spaces in communication with said first-mentioned spaces to admit air to said cap around said brush. 